Redheaded Blues
by WhiteInkAndPaperSkin
Summary: Double D is only just beginning to get over the terrible incident from his sophomore year when, after a drunken mishap, Kevin kisses him. Double D is left reeling and, when it all comes to pieces, will Kevin be able to step up and save the day? Kind of a shit bio, but go on, give it a try. Pairings: KevEdd RolfxEd NazzxEddy Looking for a beta for this story.
1. Double D, Wait!

It had been a year since it had happened, and Double D still wasn't the same. He still trembled in the hallways, had panic attacks in the filthy bathroom stalls and waited till the early morning hours to force his body into a few hours' rest. He was a wreck. It was entirely understandable, what with the events that had transpired that night. The nightmares were the worst though, they left him screaming and shaking, clutching his soaked sheets. He usually woke up crying and was unable to sleep for the remainder of the night. Tea was replaced with strong coffee, his organization became slightly lessened and, though he was still concerned with being clean, he couldn't scrub himself from the inside out. He had tried though, in numerous ways.

He didn't think about what had happened, how he'd been alone, how they'd broken into his house and- he stopped the thought cold in it's tracks. Today was not the day for thoughts like that, he had too much to do and not enough time to get it done. His junior year was half over, he was seventeen, enlisted in every AP class he possibly could be, and trying out for the swim team, the chess club, the mathletes and the Quiz bowl after school. Double D didn't have time to cry about the past anymore.

"Hey Sockhead, wait up, will ya!?" Eddy called, rushing to catch up with the surprisingly fast gap toothed teen. "What the fuck's the rush?!"

"Language Eddy!" Double D's voice was sharp as he adjusted his satchel across his shoulder. "We will be tardy to class if we do not make haste. I shudder to think what Mother and Father would say if they found out I was tardy. No time to dawdle." He continued at his brisk pace, adjusting the books in his arms and failing to notice the large dip in the pavement.

Double D slipped, his books flying, the hat falling from his head, skin being pulled from the palms of both his hands as he automatically reached out to catch himself. All three boys fell silent, hell it seemed like everything stopped, if only for a moment.

"... Does it hurt Double D?" Ed's voice was surprisingly soft as Double D righted himself, dusting his hands on his shorts and hissing at the sting.

"No, Ed, it does not pain me anymore." Edd quickly returned his hat to his head before going about collecting his books.

"Don't worry Lumpy, Sockhead is tough, right?" Eddy handed Double D his Calculus book, smiling and scuffing the ground with his toes.

"Indeed Eddy, I healed quite nicely and am doing perfectly well." Eddward offered a rare smile, tucking his hat securely onto his head before continuing to walk, occasionally checking his watch to ensure he wasn't going to be late. "But I worry we'll be tardy at our current speed."

"Relax Sockhead, we're almost there." Eddy never had a care in the world, hands tucked into the pockets of his loose blue jeans.

"We will move as quickly as butter on toast, Double D." Ed chuckled, continuing to lope along behind the smaller boys.

"There isn't time to relax, Eddy." Double D's tone held a note of worry, but he did slow his pace as the high school approached.

The halls were filled with mindless chatter, it was Monday and tales of the weekend were being valiantly regaled as Double D quickly entered the combination to his locker. He hummed quietly under his bed, swapping the books in his arms for those he would need in the first few hours of his day. Eddward quietly shut his locker, satisfied he had the necessary books for his classes, turning to make for his first hour.

"Sup, Double Dumbass?" Kevin's voice had gotten even lower with puberty and he had a fine sheet of stubble across the chin he'd grown into. His eyes were mint green and sparkling with something Eddward was having trouble naming, perhaps it was malice.

"Language, Kevin." Double D sighed, leaning against his locker.

He and Kevin ended up next to one another every year, as if the school's office had planned it that way. As a result, the two were on friendly terms, though they weren't exactly friends. Kevin resisted the urge to beat the snot out of Double D provided Eddward tutored him in pretty much every class he was taking. It was an awkward and tedious arrangement, but it worked out for both parties.

"Listen, I need you to tutor me tonight, I have a math test coming up and if I bomb it I'm fucked. They'll kick me off the baseball team. So seven, my place, okay? I'll bring pizza and soda. No objections." Kevin was gone before Double D had a chance to reply.

"If you came to me to ask for tutoring help, you shouldn't have started by insulting my intelligence," Eddward muttered to himself as he hurried to class.

The day passed more quickly than Edd thought it would and before he knew it he was home and the clock read thirty minutes till seven. His academic tryouts had gone well, but there was still some hesitancy from the swim team. They'd given him a week to get in better shape and try out again. His form was good, he just lacked the stamina needed to get the win.

"Mustn't be tardy.." Edd muttered as he took a quick and rather hot shower, being sure to lather his hair and gently disinfect the scar he kept tucked away under his hat. "Kevin would be most displeased if I was late, not to mention it sets a bad example." He quickly rinsed off and towelled himself dry.

The arrangement with Kevin had been set up by the school their freshman year. Kevin had been failing nearly every class and Double D had been buzzing around the office for weeks, looking for any chance to volunteer. Even some as rudimentary as Kevin could have seen where it was going. Almost two years later and Kevin and Eddward had at least two study sessions a week, provided their schedules allowed it.

Double D hurried to dress, though his clock said six fifty and Kevin's house was only a minute's walk away, he was still anxious. He pulled on a light gray, woolen, long sleeve shirt and a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. He tucked his familiar black and white striped beanie safely over his scar, before zipping up his large, fluorescent orange, downy winter jacket. Once he was confident his looks were well adjusted, he added a notebook and pencil to his satchel before slinging it over his shoulder and heading down the stairs and out the door, locking it behind him.

The air outside his door was brisk, as seven pm was quite late in the middle of December. Eddward tucked his hands into his pockets, amazed at the winter wonderland that surrounded him. Snowfall had always been one of his favorite things, so pure, so innocent, so breathtakingly simple. He hummed softly as he made his way across the quiet cul-de-sac, knocking softly on Kevin's door three times. After a long moment. when there was no answer, he knocked again. After yet another long moment and another silence, Eddward knocked again.

"Kevin? I'm here for our study date, are you alright?" Edd knocked again, harder this time, and the door swung open. "Kevin, I'm, um, I'm going to come in now, alright?"

Double D waited for a response that didn't come and stepped in.

"Kevin? H-Hello?" His voice rang in the dark, empty room and he was suddenly reminded of his own empty home. A shudder rippled through his body.

"Should I come back later, perhaps tomorrow?" His thoughts strayed to calculate how late he could stay and still get the maximum eight hours of sleep.

"Kevin?" He called out, one final time.

"Double D!" The voice was loud and entirely unexpected.

Eddward jumped, his hat fallling from his head as he worked to force the panic down. The voice had obviously been Kevin's. He was safe, nothing was going to go wrong, everything would be alright. Edd tried to even his breathing, slowing his heart rate easily, he'd had enough practice in the ICU, before finally looking up.

"Double D!" The call was a laugh accompanied by thundering footsteps and the sound of someone falling. "Double D, man, it's great that you're here! Danny just broke up with me and I was having a drink, but I guess it's time for our study date now, huh? Choice! I fucking love studying with you!" Kevin stumbled into the room, looking disheveled.

Double D adjusted his hat and took a long moment to look Kevin over. The teen was obviously drunk, noticeable if not from the smell than from the state of his clothes. Kevin was wearing boxers, low slung on the V of his hips, and a black wife beater. (*author's note, a wife beater is the tank top with the lines down it, just google it) His eyes were blurred and unfocused, a bottle barely held by the fingertips of his left hand. There was a slow smile creeping on his face as he sauntered across the room, toward Double D, who was growing more nervous by the second.

"My apologies Kevin, I am very sorry to hear about the unfortunate status of your relationship. May I be of any assistance? I know some very useful coping mechanism and I have a few texts you could possibly- MMPH!"

Kevin's lips were pressed, suddenly, to Ed's. His tongue was warm and heavy in Eddward's mouth, hands everywhere, leaving trails of fire on his skin. Double D almost wanted to stop him, but Kevin's hand slipped down to cup his ass and all resistance left his body. Edd threw himself into the kiss and, if only for a moment, said be damned the consequences.

"Fuck, Double D, you're so hot. Don't know why I didn't do this sooner, that cute little body, all hot and willing. Should have done this last year, fuck." Kevin's voice was a slurred mumble as he left wet kisses up the side of Edd's jaw, his hand sneaking into the smaller teen's pants.

"Kevin, wait!" Edd stumbled back, face flushed, chest heaving. "I cannont allow this. You are inebriated and thinking rashly, I will not lose my virginity to a pity coupling by a drunken childhood friend. I apologize but we will have to reschedule this study date. Have a nice evening and drink some water for the hangover."

"Wait, Double D!" Kevin stumbled, trying desperately to grab Edd before he made it to the door.

His state of inebriation almost made it too easy for Ed to slip by him, firmly shutting Kevin's door in his own face.

Edd made it all the way home before the tears began. He sunk to the floor, back to the door, and let them consume him, fragile body heaving with the weight of his sobs.


	2. Well, shit

Kevin groaned, slamming his fist down on his alarm clock to stop the beeping. His mouth was dry, his head was pounding and he was fairly sure he'd puked at one point or another the night before. Kevin dragged himself out of bed with a groan, rubbing his face. Maybe he should skip today? He'd be smart enough to leave a couple asprin and a glass of water by his bed. He was quick to swallow both, even though the water was stagnant and left a terrible taste in his mouth.

Stumbling into the bathroom was reassured by the fact his bed was empty, he couldn't have done anything too bad, right? He briefly remembered that he and Double D were supposed to study yesterday, but he couldn't remember how it went. With a sigh, he started getting ready for school, cursing himself for being stupid enough to get plastered on a school night.

EENE

Eddward was blissful. The feel of the water, the familiar burn in his lungs as they screamed for another mouthful of air, the tensing in his muscles as they protested another lap. Eddward loved swimming, he loved the way it felt like the entire world was gone; nothing existed but the cool water on his skin and the push toward the finish line. He didn't have to be Eddward, or Double D, he didn't have to be anything to anyone, he was free.

Eddward surfaced, pushing himself easily from the pool, he had to get ready for class, school would start in little more than an hour and he couldn't be tardy. The locker room was empty and he changed quickly, switching from his swim cap to his familiar beanie in record time. He dressed quickly, shouldering his backpack and moving toward the door, half an hour early, as always.

His anxiety skyrocketed once he hit the hallways and he kept his head down, just trying to get to his first class without seeing Kevin. It wasn't that he was afraid of Kevin, Double D knew the jock had been inebriated and unaware of what he was doing, it was more Double D was afraid of Kevin remembering what had happened and hating him for it. Not to say he wasn't incredibly angry at Kevin for what he had done, surely he was. But deep down, Eddward worried that kiss would be what it took to ruin their friendship. He didn't have many friends and he was especially fond of Kevin.

He let his mind wander as he began collecting books out of his locker, one by one. Kevin wasn't that horrible of a person, sure he put on a hard facade to 'fit in' with the popular drivel he spent time with; but that didn't make him a bad person. Eddward had known Kevin since childhood and had seen some of the wonderful things he would do for other people, if just given the chance. True, those times had become few and far between since they entered high school but Double D knew Kevin had potential. He was rather attractive, too. He felt his face growing hot and he tried to push the thoughts away, now was not the time nor the place. He was still incredibly mad at Kevin, but still, kissing him had been nice. Even if it hadn't meant anything, just a stupid, drunken- hurt and humiliated anger bubbled in his chest and he slammed his locker door, suddenly remembering why he was so angry.

How dare Kevin kiss him? How dare Kevin think he could make a drunken pass at him, simply because he was there? Who did Kevin Barr think he was? It didn't matter that Double D had liked the kiss, that he found himself thinking about it when he should be sleeping, that it made his heart race and his cheeks flush- **BRIIIIING!** -The tardy bell rang, tossing Eddward out of his thoughts and he stumbled as he tried to hurry down the hall, internally cursing himself for being tardy.

Lunch time rolled around and Double D found himself at his usual table with Ed and Eddy, picking at the salad he'd gotten without interest. Ed was face deep in a bowl of mashed potatoes and Eddy was talking what a mouthful of french fries. Lovely. His eyes wandered away from his friends, toward the table congested with Kevin and his friends. They seemed to be happy, but then again, weren't popular people always happy? Kevin looked up suddenly, jaded green meeting icy blue, before returning his attention to Naz, who was sitting to his left. Eddward felt a strange warmth along his spine and he shook it off, returning to his salad with a bit more enthusiasm.

"Hey, Double D, can we talk for a second?"

School was over and Eddward was on his way home, when Kevin pulled up beside him in his black 67' Impala, a confident smirk on his face. Eddward flushed as the car stopped and Kevin lent out the window, bringing himself closer to the scrawny teen.

"I just wanted to know if you could tutor me tonight? Seven o'clock, your place."

Double D had no chance to comment before the car was gone, back end swinging around the corner and vanishing from sight.

"Oh dear," Double M mumbled, hurrying down the street toward his home.

It was obvious Kevin had no recollection of the night before, but the thought did little to ease the hot bubble of anger pooling in his gut. No, he would be rational about this. He would make dinner, tutor Kevin and everything would go as it had previously gone. Or, so he thought.

EEnE

"Oh shit," Kevin swore, head slamming against the floor as he fell back, twenty crunches completed.

He'd been thinking about nothing in particular, choosing instead to focus on the music and sweat and the thumping in his chest, when bits of the night before came back to him, like a TV with a bad tuning. It happened sometimes, the hazy memories would surface after he'd given the hangover enough time to wear off. He remembered kissing Double D, and his face drained of color. Shit. What was he going to say? And he'd gone and invited himself over to Double D's house, without even apologizing, like a prick. _'Wow, way to go dipstick.'_ Kevin sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. Clearly, he had a lot of making up to do.


	3. Your First?

"Uh, Double D, hello? The door was open and I just, well, I let myself in. Sorry." Kevin wasn't usually this nervous, especially not when he was studying with Edd. Edd was one of the easiest people to be around, in Kevin's opinion.

He wasn't over often and it always weirded him out how empty and cold Double D's house was, like one of those showhomes, distant and fake. A false fabrication of a life that wasn't real. Scientific articles and medical journals were neatly spread across the coffee table, which was planted directly in front of a wide, incredibly clean, white sectional. There was no TV in sight, nor was there a radio. The far walls were covered in bookshelves, packed with thick, boring looking books about the size of encyclopedias. In fact, on closer inspection, Kevin realized that was exactly what they were. The floor was tile, the walls a pale peach, nothing homey, nothing that screamed warmth or comfort, or love. _'No wonder Double D's so weird,'_ Kevin thought with a shake of his head, _'he's all alone'_. A delicious smell caught Kevin's attention, dragging him toward the kitchen, where he stopped in the doorway to watch Eddward work.

Double D was wearing an apron, which was covered it what seemed to be bacteria of some kind, and stirring what smelt an awful lot like gumbo. Kevin couldn't remember the last time he'd had home cooking of any kind especially not any that smelt this delicious. He stepped into the kitchen, his mouth watering, an appreciative smile on his face. His stomach rumbled as the smell grew stronger.

"Thanks Double D, it smells great... Do you need any help setting the table?" Kevin really did want to make up for being an ass the day before. He wasn't that mean little kid who picked on the Eds, not anymore, and he wanted to prove it. Sure, he wasn't nice, per say, but he didn't beat the shit out of anyone, so it was a start.

"Why thank you Kevin, that would be lovely. Plates are in the cupboard above the sink, silverware in the first drawer on the left and cups directly above them. What would you like to drink? I have water, tea, a variety of juices and perhaps a soda or two hidden in the back of the fridge." Double D turned the gumbo on low, opening the fridge and rooting around in an attempt to find something Kevin would be more suited to.

"Water is fine, thanks." Kevin mumbled, gathering the plates and cutlery. "You know, I really am sorry about last night, even if I don't remember it. I didn't, I mean, I didn't force you to do anything, did I?"

"No, you didn't. You kissed me and tried to put your hand down my pants and I stopped you. You didn't hurt me." Eddward poured two glasses of water, setting one in front of each place setting at the table. "I understand you were inebriated and not yourself, so I suggest we go back to our previous study arrangement and put the entire messy situation behind us."

"Uhm, sure Double D, that sounds great, thanks." Kevin smiled, feeling a bit more at ease as he settled at the table. "But, um did you, you know, like kissing me?"

"Excuse me?" Eddward's head snapped up so quickly he was dizzy. His hand twitched as he struggled to regain his equilibrium and, in his haste, he spilled the hot ladleful of gumbo he'd been about to spoon into Kevin's bowl all down his front. "Ouch! Hot! Hot! Hot!" Without thinking Double D scrambled to pull off his shirt, tossing the messed cloth onto the floor. "Filthy, filthy, filthy."

"Are you okay Double D? That looks like it hurts." Kevin was up from the table in an instant and entirely too close to Eddward, making his heart hammer.

"I'm alright, truly. I need to hurry and clean up this mess, if you'll excuse me." Double D bent to pick up his shirt.

"Here, I'll help you." Kevin bent at the same time, their hands and foreheads bumping.

"Ouch!" Double D fell back, rubbing his forehead as blush filled his cheeks from the physical contact, small as it was.

"Fuck!" Kevin grunted, rubbing his head and moving back as well. "Are you okay? Shit, why don't I clean the counter and you take care of the shirt?"

Kevin took a long look at Double D, as he stood up, and was ashamed of how quickly he became aroused. Shaking his head, he tried to ignore the stirring in his groin and the heat quickly filling his cheeks. Trying to distract himself, Kevin grabbed the sponge off the end of the sink and began scrubbing the floor and stove where the gumbo had spilt. He wasn't sure why he had come over, or what he had to prove. It wasn't like he had feelings for Double D or anything…. right? No, that was impossible, he wasn't into guys, especially scrawny, dorky little math tutors like Double D. So why had he come to Double D's home? Why was he asking these questions? _'Get a hold of yourself Kevin.'_

After a moment, he heard the washing machine click on and he realized the floor had been clean for most of his scrubbing period. Double D returned to the kitchen wearing a gray wife beater just as Kevin stood up and he was struck by how well it was showcasing Eddward's slender chest and arms. Double D smiled sheepishly and returned to ladling gumbo into bowls, humming under his breath.

"I apologize for my clumsiness, I don't know what came over me." Eddward laughed, but the sound was nervous, and deposited the bowls neatly on the table.

"You never answered my question," Kevin replied, his voice dropping an octave as he stepped closer to Double D, unable to fight the lust pooling low in his gut. "Did you like kissing me?"

"It was enjoyable, I s-suppose." Double D mumbled, his gaze glued firmly to the floor as he tried to stumble back to put more room between them. "I have nothing to compare it to, though."

"You mean," Kevin frowned, shocked, "that was your first kiss?"


End file.
